RBC Canadian Open preview

The PGA Tour has travelled to Ontario this week for the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville. Scott Piercy is the defending champion and a strong field has assembled.

Scott Piercy defends Canadian Open (Getty Images)
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Lowdown: The PGA Tour has travelled to Ontario this week for the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville. Scott Piercy is the defending champion and a strong field has assembled.

Less than a week after the final putt was struck at Muirfield, a number of those who contested the year's third Major have made the journey back across the Atlantic to compete in this event. Brandt Snedeker, Hunter Mahan, Luke Donald, Ernie Els and Graeme McDowell are among those on the start sheet.

This is an historic tournament that began life back in 1904. Since that time, there have been many famous winners of the event. In fact, the roll call of champions reads like a who's who of golfing legends: Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Bobby Locke, Arnold Palmer, Bob Charles, Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, Greg Norman, Curtis Strange, Nick Price, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk have all been winners.

Last season Scott Piercy took the title at Hamilton Golf & Country Club. He closed with a 67 to finish one clear of Robert Garrigus and William McGirt.

This will be the 26th time Glen Abbey has been used for this tournament. A Jack Nicklaus creation, the Canadian Open first visited in 1977.

Venue: Glen Abbey Golf Club, Oakville, Ontario Date: Jul 25-28 Course stats: par 72, 7,253 yards Purse: $5,600,000 Winner: $1,008,000 Defending Champion: Scott Piercy (-17)

TV Coverage: Thursday 25 - Sky Sports 3 from 8pm Friday 26 - Sky Sports 3 from 8pm Saturday 27 - Sky Sports 3 from 7pm Sunday 28 - Sky Sports 3 from 7pm

Player Watch: Brandt Snedeker - He was tied for 11th at Muirfield despite shooting a 79 in the second round. He was tied for fifth at this venue in 2009.

Hunter Mahan - Another man who played well at Muirfield. He's been on solid form over the last month or so and he was tied fourth here back in 2004.

Graham Delaet - The Canadian would love to win his home title and he's never been in a better position to do it. He's on a great run with five straight top-25 finishes. Key hole: 18th. A 524 yard par 5, it's reachable in two for anybody in the field who gets a decent tee shot away. There's definitely a possibility of someone recording an eagle three to win the tournament.

Skills required: Transition - The players who competed last week at Muirfield will have to quickly change their style of play from the knocked-down to the high floated shot. The PGA Tour regulars will have to adapt to playing in a different country.

Where next? European Tour - M2M Russian Open preview

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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